Shocking stat proves Steven Adams is one of NBA's most underrated players

The Houston Rockets liked Steven Adams enough to retain his services this summer. They clearly value him, but a shocking new stat will make you wonder whether they understand exactly how good he is.

Does anyone have a firm handle on Adams' impact? He is good - that is widely understood. Everyone knows that Adams's ability and willingness to do the dirty work help his team.

That said, his basic counting stats will not knock your socks off. Even advanced metrics like Box Plus/Minus (BPM) won't always capture his value. To understand Adams' value, you've got to dig deeper.

Luckily, someone was willing to do that on our behalf.

Rockets' Steven Adams one of the NBA's most impactful big men

If you're standing, take a seat. Brace yourself for this graphic.

Without further ado...

Wow. That is nothing short of astonishing. Over the last 25 years, only four centers' lineups beat opponents by a larger margin per 100 possessions than lineups featuring Adams.

Three of them are unambiguously superstars. Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic and Shaquille O'Neal are all former MVP winners. Then, there's Rudy Gobert. He's less of an offensive force than those peers, but he's widely recognized as one of the best defensive big men in NBA history.

Then, there's Adams. He's the "polar bear in Texas" out of this group. It's almost inconceivable that he'd be in this company.

How did this happen?

Rockets' Steven Adams is an elite role player

Some players carry teams. Guys who bear a disproportionate responsibility for their success (or failure). We're talking about guys like Embiid, Jokic, and O'Neal.

Even Gobert fits that bill to an extent. He's been the anchor for every defense he's played with. He won't carry your offense, but he makes up for any limitations on that end by virtually guaranteeing your squad a place in the top 5 defenses.

Then, there are the guys who help guys carry teams. That's Adams. Part of the explanation here is his screening. Adams made it easier for Ja Morant to get downhill than virtually any big man in the NBA could.

More than anything, Adams' offensive rebounding acumen is impactful. Extra possessions mean extra shots. His brand of basketball isn't complicated, but it's highly effective.

Does this stat really put Adams in the company of those all-time greats? No. If the Rockets tried to build their offense around Adams, well, nobody would mistake him for Shaquille O'Neal. Still, it does prove that he's one of the most underrated players in the NBA:

The Rockets ought to know how lucky they are to have him.